Wimbledon 2017: Venus Williams through to second round in first match after fatal car crash

VENUS WILLIAMS put the agony of being involved in a deatch crash to one side as she beat Elise Mertens to make it through to the second round of Wimbledon.

Williams was involved in an accident in Florida last month which resulted in an elderly man losing his life.

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Venus Williams crusied past Elise Mertens in the first round

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Venus Williams put the horror crash behind her to win at Wimbledon

But the 37-year-old escaped the off-field drama as she was stretched by the world number 79 Belgian on Court One.

The five-times Ladies Champion needed five set points to take the first set, but gradually her experience and quality shone through in the second.

A short rain delay hampered her progress, but she resumed on Court One to take the match 7-6, 6-4.

Venus is accused of running a red light, inattentive driving and negligent operation of a vehicle, leaving Jerome Barson with a fractured spine and numerous internal injuries before his death several weeks later.

Williams, who owns a home near the crash site, last week said she was “heartbroken” over the tragic incident as she prepared to make her 20th appearance at Wimbledon.

The world number 11 put the horror crash to one side as she advanced to the second round, where she will face China’s Wang Qiang.

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Williams, 37, made her SW19 debut in 1997 when Elise Mertens was just one year old

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Venus Williams has won the ladies title five times at SW19

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Elise Mertens saved four set points before she lost the first set

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Elise Mertens was making her debut in the main draw at Wimbledon

Making her first appearance in the Wimbledon main draw, Mertens, 21, was just one when Venus made her Wimbledon debut in 1997.

Mertens, ranked 54th, was playing only her fifth career Grand Slam match, while Williams is a seven-time Grand Slam winner and reached the Wimbledon semi-finals last year.

Despite that vast gulf in experience, Mertens wasn’t overwhelmed when Williams, the oldest player in this year’s women’s singles event, won the first three games on Court One.

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